The Sri Lankan government has been urged to hold back its final military battle in areas where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped, says United Nations' chief humanitarian emergency coord

Islamabad, Jan. 25 : The unexpected harmony between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) following President Asif Ali Zardari's meeting with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has dashed the hopes of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) to form an alliance with either of the two parties in Pujab.

The discreet meetings and backdoor negotiations between the top leaders of the PPP and the PML-N discussions have ensured the safely of Punjab coalitions till the next Senate elections, The Nation reports.

Durban  - The chairman of the Inkatha Freedom Party's youth brigade was shot dead by unknown assailants in KwaZulu-Natal, police confirmed Monday.

Unidentified attackers pumped eight bullets into Shadrack Dube on Sunday not far from his house at Phumlani township in Hluhluwe, a party member said.

"We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the untimely death of our comrade. While we do not yet know his assailants, we note with concern the almost uniform pattern in the way he and some of our leaders have been assassinated," the IFP said in a statement.

Jerusalem  - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected Wednesday a proposal for a 48-hour "humanitarian" lull in Israel's assault on the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, saying that the time was not yet ripe to call a halt to the Israeli operations.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had proposed to Israel that it unilaterally halt its assault for 48 hours to give Hamas a chance to end its rocket and mortar attacks as well.

The state unit of congress party in Gujarat demanded white paper on concessions offered to Tata's Nano project by the ruling Narendra Modi government. An anonymous note circulated in vernacular media alleged that TATA is offered big sops for establishing Nano project in the state for publicity of state chief minister Narendra Modi.